With 26.2 Miles, a Son Honors His Mother’s Battle

The The Piatek Family

Anthony Piatek ran the Chicago Marathon in October in honor of his mom, Mary Jo, who has PH. This was Anthony’s second year running in honor of his mother, and he plans to continue to run the marathon each year. Anthony has raised more than $2,500 in honor of Mary Jo. Anthony says, “I admire [my mother’s] strength in battling pulmonary hypertension each and every day. She is a warrior. If she can go on each day fighting this battle, then I can easily run 26.2 miles.”

Anthony at the end ofthe marathon

Anthony enjoyed seeing his family, friends, coworkers and even friends of the family he doesn’t know personally support his fundraiser. “I know that looking at the list of people who have donated makes my mother feel more comforted and blessed knowing that she’s not alone in this battle. We are all here to fight with her, whether it be running 26.2 miles or donating $20,” he says.

Anthony emailed family and friends and posted the link to his fundraising page on Facebook every week throughout his 16 weeks of training. Anthony encourages others to consider fundraising for PHA and says, “Coming together shows solidarity and strength and tells the disease that it is not bigger than the circle of friends and family of those who suffer from PH. Fundraising, especially during these economic times, can be intimidating, but you will be surprised at how many people will step up and help because they believe in the cause.”

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